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WORLD NEWS Thursday 12 May 2022
Reports: Hong Kong arrests Roman Catholic cardinal, others

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Zen and others who were
Kong authorities arrested a "unjustly detained and
Roman Catholic cardinal, charged," deputy press
a singer and at least two secretary Karine Jean-
others on Wednesday on Pierre said Wednesday.
suspicion of colluding with Several leading Kong Kong
foreign forces to endanger activists have fled to Tai-
China's national security, wan, Britain or elsewhere,
reports said. while thousands of other
Cardinal Joseph Zen, sing- Hong Kongers have cho-
er-actress Denise Ho, law- sen to leave the city, rais-
yer Margaret Ng and schol- ing concerns about the
ar Hui Po-keung were de- economic future of the
tained by Hong Kong's Na- Asian financial center of
tional Security Police, the 7.4 million. The arrests follow
U.K.-based human rights the selection on Sunday of
group Hong Kong Watch Hong Kong's new leader,
said. John Lee, a hard-line for-
The arrests were apparently mer security chief who ran
related to their roles as trust- unopposed in a process
ees of the 612 Humanitar- controlled by Beijing.
ian Relief Fund, which pro- The European Union and
vided legal aid to people Retired archbishop of Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, left, holds a donation box during an an- foreign ministers from the
who took part in 2019 pro- nual New Year protest in Hong Kong, on Jan. 1, 2019. Group of Seven industrial-
democracy protests that Associated Press ized countries — Canada,
were quashed by security France, Germany, Italy, Ja-
forces, the group said. The critic of China and has tion." Ho also has been out- down on basic rights and pan, the U.K. and the U.S.
fund closed in 2021, it said. been blistering in his con- spoken in her advocacy freedoms in Hong Kong," — condemned the elec-
Scores of pro-democracy demnation of the Vatican's of civil and political rights. said the group's chief exec- tion as fundamentally un-
activists have been ar- 2018 agreement with Bei- Her manager, Jelly Cheng, utive, Benedict Rogers. democratic and a betrayal
rested under a sweeping jing over bishop nomina- confirmed Ho's arrest but "We urge the international of the "one country, two
National Security Law im- tions, which he has said was said she had no other infor- community to shine a light systems" principle under
posed on the city by Beijing a sellout of underground mation. on this brutal crackdown which Hong Kong was sup-
in 2020 following the dem- Christians in China. Hui was arrested at Hong and call for the immediate posed to retain its own po-
onstrations. The city's inde- The Vatican spokesman, Kong's international airport release of these activists," litical, legal and economic
pendent media have been Matteo Bruni, said the Holy as he sought to leave the Rogers said. system for 50 years after the
gutted and its legislature See "learned with concern city, Hong Kong Watch The White House also called end of British colonial rule.
reorganized to pack it with the news of the arrest of said. on China and Hong Kong Hong Kong's government
Beijing loyalists. Cardinal Zen and is follow- "Today's arrests signal be- authorities to cease target- and police had no imme-
Zen, the retired archbishop ing the evolution of the situ- yond a doubt that Beijing ing Hong Kong advocates diate comment on the re-
of Hong Kong, is a fierce ation with extreme atten- intends to intensify its crack- and immediately release ported arrests.q

Paraguay organized crime prosecutor slain on Colombian beach

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) mony to the sweetest love." nal investigation unit had
— Paraguay's prosecutor The Decameron Barú Ho- been sent to Cartagena,
of organized crime and tel, where the couple was Colombian Defense Min-
drug trafficking cases was staying, said the attackers ister Diego Molano said.
slain Tuesday by gunmen arrived on a jet ski and shot Paraguayan and U.S. offi-
on a Colombian beach as the couple while they were cials will be integrated into
he honeymooned with his on the beach. The gun- the unit to help identify and
new wife, who said the at- men also fired at a security prosecute the perpetrators,
tackers came on a jet ski or guard, who was unhurt, the police said.
small boat. hotel said. Pecci was investigating
Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci Aguilera, who wasn't hurt several high profile cases
married journalist Claudia in the attack, said two at- in Paraguay, including a
Aguilera in April. Aguilera tackers came on a small shooting at a concert in
had recently shared pho- boat or jet ski, saying she January where an alleged
tos on social media show- couldn't remember pre- drug trafficker and a soc-
ing her and Pecci on the cisely. One of them got off cer player's wife were killed. Attorney General of Paraguay Sandra Quiñonez prays to a Vir-
Barú peninsula in the Carib- and "without saying a word Paraguayan President Ma- gin Mary statue at the entrance of her office after she found out
about the killing during his honeymoon in Colombia of Para-
bean, south of the Colom- shot Marcelo twice, once rio Abdo Benítez decried guayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, in Asuncion, Paraguay,
bian city of Cartagena. in the face and once in the the "cowardly murder" of Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Her final social media post- back." the prosecutor on Twit- Associated Press
ing, hours before the at- Colombia's foreign minister ter. He vowed to redouble
tack, was a photo of her- and vice president, Marta Paraguay's efforts against was in Colombia. He said is South America's largest
self and her husband with a Lucía Ramírez, said authori- organized crime. Pecci was one of the most marijuana producer. Grow-
pair of baby's shoes along ties were working to clarify The director of Colombia's heavily guarded people in ing the plant is still illegal in
with the message: "The best "the motives and authors of national police, Gen. Jorge Paraguay since he "inves- that country and much of
wedding gift ... the ap- this heinous crime." Luis Vargas, said he hadn't tigated cases of interna- the crop is smuggled into
proaching life that is a testi- A "high command" crimi- been aware that Pecci tional terrorism." Paraguay Argentina and Brazil.q